1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to infusion apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for infusing, into a living patient, a desired amount of infusate substantially independently of gravitational forces or temperature changes.
2. Prior Art Problem
Intravaneous (IV) infusion of fluids is one of the most widespread and lifesaving procedures in medicine. However, the use of present IV infusion systems is plagued by one or more of three limitations: first, standard IV sets that depend upon gravity for powering fluid flow are critically dependent upon elevation level of the infusate and are too tall for many necessary sites such as ambulances and battlefields; second, IV sets that utilize pumps or drop-counting electronics tend to be both expensive and operationally fragile; and third, IV sets which employ a tubing clamp to control the flow from a pressurized source of infusate are difficult to adjust and may not reliably maintain a desired rate of flow. And, superimposed upon these limitations is the tendency of temperature changes to upset flow settings.